Subject: Rouge the Bat
Position: Field operative, scored in the 95th percentile on field exam. Leader of Team Dark. Jewel, espionage and saboteur expert.
Height and weight: 105 cm (3' 5"), 'none of your business'.
Age: 18
Living Relatives: None.
Emergency contacts: Shadow Darke, E-123 Omega, Knuckles the Echidna (non-GUN personnel, located on Angel Island, unaware he is emergency contact).
Relationships: none on record, close with Agent Shadow and Omega.
Previous records: See Operation Shadow and REDACTED, REDACTED, and REDACTED files. REDACTED
Safety notes: DO NOT LEAVE ALONE. Keep all valuables out of sight.
Investigator: Sarah Jones, GUN agent and records keeper.
Begin report.
Subject walks in, glances at the investigator, and sits down. Subject seems calm.
"Hey, hon. What did I do this time according to the big boss?"
"Hello, Agent Rouge. I've been requested by Hope Kintobor to make a comprehensive list of GUN's mistakes. You are here to discuss the circumstances around your hiring."
"What about it? GUN found my talents useful, they offered me a contract, I took the deal."
"I would be inclined to believe you personally, but such a by the book hiring wouldn't be redacted as extremely as yours was."
"What can I say? A lady likes to keep her secrets."
"And almost all of your files are redacted, except for the referrals for misbehavior, disrespect, and…what does DCWS stand for?"
"Deserted Commands With Satisfaction. You haven't seen it because it was made special for little old me."
Subject seems genuinely pleased, and Investigator continues to press,
"Has anyone else been written up with that?"
"Omega did once: they made the mistake of telling him Eggman's base was 2 miles off course, and he took a small detour."
"I'm guessing he did that with your influence?"
Subject shifts to where she is leaning forward.
"Not at all: Omega just can't stand Eggman, and a little 2 mile stroll isn't going to keep him from attacking a prone base."
"Are we going to need to write another one of these DCWS's? You've been ordered to-"
Subjects sits forward and properly, lips pressed together tightly, eyes dilating slightly with her hands clasped together.
"Look, I've only got 5 years left: I'm not risking this."
Subject seems concerned, possibly frightened.
"With Hope becoming-"
Subject says sharply, breath shaking slightly,
"I am not risking my future to satisfy some kid's curiosity. I don't care if she is becoming the next big boss. Until she is, my mouth is s-"
Subject looks at the paper, visibly confused and concerned. A small smirk crosses her face.
"I stand corrected. Didn't know the big boss himself stepped down this morning."
"The Commander is still in command: your district leader is who stepped down."
Subject scoffs, brushing her fur out of her eyes.
"Same thing, hon. The Commander rarely interacts with me, and has nothing to do with my life unless he fires me for something or another. What are your questions?"
"All the files on your hiring are blacked. Why?"
Subject scoffs, pulling her arms closer around her.
"Do you really think I was hired legally? I got snitched out by my fence: GUN got a hold of me, and offered a deal: I work for them 15 years, they keep me out of prison and my official record…disappears."
"Wait, that means you've been working for GUN since you were 8."
"Oh, yeah. Like I said: my hiring wasn't legal. And if I got caught, they'd bail me out, but there were…repercussions."
"Such as?"
Subject falls silent, rubbing her shoulders.
"Agent Rouge, what repercussions did you face if you got caught?"
"First 2 years were the worst, I guess. I wasn't allowed outside of the training facility: I couldn't get online, read anything but mission reports, no pay, no vacation, trained 19 out of 24 hours. Hell on Mobius. If I acted out…"
Subject shudders. Investigator is concerned.
"3rd year got a little better: I was allowed outside under strict observation, graduated training and was sent to the file room. I acted out? No more walks. You learn quick not to push too far when you get smacked back into submission. By the time Shadow and Omega came into the mix, I got half a regular salary, access to internet, some books, a day off every 60 days, and a direct contact with the president due to my…talents. But I stopped acting out: just because they gave the cage a little more room doesn't mean I'm free."
Subject scoffs before continuing.
"And people wonder why I have problems with the system. Now, I have rights, since I'm 18. I get a full salary, 'reasonable freedoms', and the minimum vacation time that's legal. But still, if I step out of line, they can smack me back down."
Silence for several minutes. Investigator starts up with hesitancy.
"…Do…do you have any plans for when the contract is up?"
"Plans? Hon, I have no life. I've got GUN, Shadow, and Omega, and an echidna I like to visit so I can annoy him. Where am I supposed to go except back here? I have to admit, it's a smart hiring process. It's just hell to go through. So, I'll be staying with GUN."
Subject seems accepting of this, but investigator is distressed.
"I'm…so sorry you went through all of that."
"Don't be: I learned to adapt, and I learned how to press buttons without going too far and getting in trouble. I learned to survive, and I'm fine with that."
Investigator clears throat before continuing.
"One more question, Agent Rouge. Do you have any complaints as to how GUN functions currently?"
Subject leans back, visibly relaxing.
"Other than the fact the Commander literally started hunting Shadow during an alien invasion when he was helping us stop the aliens, and the fact the big boss is retiring to some plush mansion to die in luxury after what he did to me? Not at all. Things run smoothly, we respond quickly to dangers and threats, and I don't see an issue with that."
Subject stands and leaves room.
End Report.